Tuesday, May 31, 2016

San Diego-based Villa Rancho Bernardo Care Center settles with DOJ discrimination charges



Posted by CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA -  The Justice Department reached a settlement agreement today with Villa Rancho Bernardo Care Center (VRB), a skilled nursing facility in San Diego, resolving the department’s investigation of VRB for discrimination against work-authorized non-U.S. citizens in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), cording to announcement by Office of Public Affairs.

Under the settlement agreement, VRB will pay $24,000 in civil penalties to the United States, undergo department-provided training on the anti-discrimination provision of the INA and be subject to monitoring requirements.

The department’s investigation found that VRB discriminated against lawful permanent residents by requiring them to produce specific documents to prove their work eligibility.  Specifically, during the interview and hiring processes, including in certain online job postings, VRB requested that lawful permanent residents produce a permanent resident card (often known as a “green card”).  
According to the DOJ, lawful permanent residents are not required to show employers their permanent resident cards to work; like all workers, they can present their choice of valid documentation from the Department of Homeland Security’s lists of acceptable documents to establish their identity and work authorization.  For example, lawful permanent residents can establish their work authorization by presenting a state or federal identification document and an unrestricted Social Security card.
According to the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC,) responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA.: The statute prohibits, among other things, citizenship, immigration status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices in employment eligibility verification; retaliation; and intimidation.

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